Momentum builds for 20mph (30km/h)
"Could a universal 20 mph speed limit on residential streets soon be as widely accepted as the smoking ban in pubs?
It's too soon to talk about a tipping point, but more and more UK local authorities are taking a close look at a policy which is winning wider public support."
"...From 2013, local authorities, already responsible for road safety, will take on larger responsibilities for public health in England. The idea is that lowering road speeds may cut the NHS bill for treating crash victims, and also combat obesity by encouraging more walking and cycling.
Until last year most of the enquiries handled by the 20's Plenty movement came from individuals and campaigners; in 2012, says its founder, Rod King, more than half the inquiries have come from local government.
But while the momentum is growing and all three major parties are supportive, the government is against legislation.
"It is not the government policy to have a default limit. This is a matter of localism," the junior transport minister Norman Baker told a conference in London this month on 20mph limits. "It would be wrong for us to impose our view from Westminster and Whitehall – those days are ending, I am happy to say."
Read full article in The Guardian, 15 May 2012.
